New Review...Immortal Rider by Larissa Ione

From the back cover....

They're here.

They ride.

The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse.

Born of a match between good and evil, four siblings stand between hell's minions and everything they want to destroy. They are the Lords of Deliverance, and they have the power to ward off Doomsday...or let it ride...

Immortal Rider

Sexy, powerful, and immortal, Limos is on a crash course with destiny. She's been marked as Satan's bride and her jealous fiance wants her all to himself. The only way this Horseman can keep herself-and everyone else-safe is to keep her distance.

Arik Wagner knows the saying "love hurts" better than most, yet he never thought stealing a kiss from Limos would land him in Hell. Literally. It takes all his military training to survive the demon torture, but once he's topside, Arik realizes that the agony has just begun. With the Apocalypse looming and Satan demanding his bride, will Arik and Limos surrender to the desire smoldering between them? Or will giving in to their passion unleash hell on earth?

Missing your favorite daytime drama? I have the answer for you!

There are no shortages of hot steamy scenes (you know the kind...just imagine your favorite soap hero/heroine accidentally coming out of the shower only to see the one person he/she hates yet secretly longs for and will do anything to protect, even from the nasty mistakes they've made in the past that they've hidden from everyone they love that could now ruin their lives forever?)

You may think that soaps are cheesy, and I admit they can be...however, they are one of my absolute favorite guilty pleasures. Until Larissa Ione.

And I'll tell ya why. Each storyline in a soap somehow ends up repeating itself, even if its only partially. Yep, there's that one evil character who seems to be every one's daddy, and everybody hooks up (well, almost everyone) eventually. And every character has lied and cheated and is keeping secrets. This is where Ione sets herself apart.

Maybe it's the demons. Or the angels. It's most definitely the Horsemen.

Finally, a heroine I can sink my teeth into. Not only do I love Limos in her sassy ways, she has a great big ol heart thanks to her bros. Did I mention I'd love to crash at her pad? Sigh...always a soft place in my heart, those Hawaiian Islands. She's tough when she has to be, saucy when the time calls for it, and lays it on the line when the moment arises. Like any young immortal being, she has made her mistakes in the past. And, just like any immortal being, when you grow up, things catch up with you.

Arik sees the tough side, accepts it, and pushes past it. A tough military guy with connections with the Guardians and super secret military faction. Who gets in a bit of trouble over a little kiss. Scorching hot kiss, but if her only knew how that kiss would make things end up. Or where. Sigh...

There is a nice crossover with the Underworld General Hospital (demons and a hospital? Paranormal Soap Opera HEAVEN!) and we get a visit from some old friends as well as a look into the other Horsemen. Not to mention Harvester and Reaver...

If I had one complaint, it's that Satan himself is the Big Bad but doesn't make much of an appearance...something I'm hoping will show up as the series progresses.

Now, I'm left waiting and totally wanting for Thanatos' book.

Soap Opera? Nah, so much better...

Book Review....Stray by Rachel Vincent

From the back book cover:

I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds.
Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked.
I'd been warned about Strays--werecats without a Pride, constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female, and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared.
This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back...for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I'm no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever--and whomever--I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays--'cause I got claws, and I'm not afraid to use them--

Awkwardly enough, and has happened with most of the new series I've discovered, the only books I could actually see in person with my very own eyes have been the later books in the series, never number one. I've come to accept this as the quirk of my life. At least it makes things interesting, right?

While waiting and wishing for Stray to show its little whiskers to me (because, for once, I was bound and determined to start at the beginning), I stumbled upon Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamers series. Or, more accurately, the first in the series. A fast read (the good kind, with an easy flow that kept me turning the pages not out of automated motions, but the need to read more....NOW! kind of way) that I found myself truly enjoying the story, and it only made me want Stray even more.

Which, could be a double edged sword.

I like to call it the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

The Good...It's an interesting and fresh take on the shift shaping phenomenon. Don't get me wrong, I loves me some wolf growlin', but kitties are different. And sometimes, different is a good thing, especially when the story doesn't feel like you've read it over...and over...and over. A pride of kitties (not sure if I should use cats here...plus I like kitties) makes dynamics interesting. The senses used by the werecats made the world seem richer. Plus, the back story of the Pride and Faythe's place was told in an easy way, revealed bit by bit through emotions rather than the author flat out telling the reader. And the toms in the Pride...let's just say, meow.

Now for the Bad. (Which, I must start with a disclaimer. For me, Bad isn't necessarily BAD. It's kind of a grumbly thing.) It took me a few times meetings the toms of the Pride to keep them separate from one another. The pace was still there, but in an entirely different way. And it entirely relates to...the Ugly.

The Ugly...I really started out liking Faythe. Independent, strong...and then, she seemed to just kind of deflate in my eyes. I wanted to shake her, make her understand she didn't have to accept the ego inflated macho attitudes of all those toms around her. Yes, I am a little old fashioned. I like the idea of being protected and treasured. But don't treat me like I'm helpless or have no choices. It makes me want to kick you. (But, I'm also a lover, not a fighter.) So, I wanted Faythe to kick...someone, anything. And maybe love on something.

Now, here's the twist. I stuck with it for two reasons. One, I was invested and hoped our heroine wasn't as silly as I hoped, and two, the word on this series is just that good. Confronted with the attitudes of the Pride and how absolutely ludicrous I kept finding the whole thing, I yelled. A bunch. And I'm glad I did. While not entirely satisfied with Faythe's decisions or the attitude of the other kitties around her, I learned a little about the Pride in the same way she did. (I grew up in an over bearing Italian family...and my toms were my uncles, all fierce, over protective and playful. And it wasn't until I entirely understood that I truly had each and every one of them twisted around my little finger that I truly appreciated those big lugs. So, in some ways, I understood the Pride and their treatment of Faythe all too well. But I still wanted to yell at her. She needed a little more twisting around her finger happening.)

The hardest part of all of this, of course, is that the end barely pulled this together for me. What is my final thought? Rachel Vincent makes me want to check out the werecats of Faythe's Pride to make sure they behave themselves. (Or how some of them don't...)

I may still yell at them, however.

Speculative Romance Fall Frenzy (or sharing the love for some fabulous authors whom I heart!) Blogger Tour

Win a copy of A Safe Harbor by Moira Rogers!

Find out how it all began...

During the bite of the Great Depression, sole female dominant Joan Fuller struggles against the rise of cruelty among her alpha counterparts. The men tolerate her interference--until she breaks from the pack and allies with a witch and a vampire. Now the Boston alpha intends to bring them all forcibly back into the fold--and teach her a lesson she may not survive.

Seamus Whelan and his werewolf bootleggers intend to retire from smuggling and savor their fortune, but first they must do a favor for an old friend: escort some female wolves to safety. An easy job, if their leader wasn't a prim ex-debutante with enough power to challenge Seamus himself. Chance makes them allies; powerful need makes them lovers.

Together, they have the opportunity to build a sanctuary for their kind, but first they must free themselves from Joan's past, and the powerful man who would see her destroyed.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a digital copy of A Safe Harbor!

This contest is a part of Moira Rogers' & Vivian Arend's Fall Frenzy Event. For your chance to win books, gift certificates, ereaders and more, visit http://www.moirarogers.com/contests/

Winner chosen October 14th!

New Review: Pack of Lies By Vanessa Vaughn

For a synopsis and check out my preview, click here.

Not everyone shares the same love for things that are different. Take my inner struggle with the love for the sensual connectivity I find whenever I pick up a book and hold it in my hands and the inner tech geek who loves the kindle app on my itouch. And the research that ensued. Really, should I get a Kindle? I'm on the fence. Seriously, I've read and touched and carried my books for all my life. Even hidden them under a pillow and snuck out my handy flashlight to get my fill. Yet, still, I'm intrigued and not totally against the idea of checking out the digital epub world. (So many choices, though!)

I only bring this up to give you an idea how I feel about the whole m/m romance. Not something I'm familiar with, but...why not? Especially after a sneak peak I found...

Because I did it. I took the plunge.

Pack of Lies by Vanessa Vaughn...where to start? Paranormal? Check. Romance? Check. M/M? Check. Sexy hotness? Check, check, check.

Underneath it all, though? A tale of finding yourself in a world that you never imagined you would step a foot into, and realizing maybe there is much more than you ever realized.

From the get go, Jack seems sure of his place in the world he has created for himself, playing a role he believes is...well, right for himself. He's a successful business man, wears the right clothes, knows the right people.

Until he meets Marcus.

Marcus rules his pack by a tenuous thread, having to keep a watchful eye on anyone who may betray him. Including himself.

On the night of the full moon, the pack revels in the debauchery and salacious behavior, from appeasing their sexual appetites to the thrill of the hunt.

After a violent encounter with Jack, his car, and Ivy (the sexy model who seems to be Jack's only friend), Marcus finds himself in a unique situation.

Werewolves are born...and turning humans is so rare that it's believed it can't happen. At least, not fully. Which would only make them weak and a threat to the pack. And weakness is not tolerated.

Neither is the attraction Marcus feels towards Jack. Which means, while he must find out if Jack has turned, he also must be incredibly careful not to let anyone see how he truly feels.

Vanessa Vaughn's story telling is smart, sexy, and thrilling with just the right amount of smolder. In the beginning, I was hesitant, yet my trepidation was quickly calmed as I found myself unable to look away. The dynamics of the pack, the intensity of emotions...the smolder (yum)...

My only complaint (other than not being hold the pages in my little hands) was the ending...I felt like it was not enough, I wanted more...that's a good thing right?

Find Vanessa Vaughn at:

Website: VanessaVaughn.com

Twitter: @AuthorVanessaV

Facebook: Vanessa Vaughn

Blog: Erotica Electronica

Note: Pack Of Lies provided by author for review...

New Review...Night Myst By Yasmine Galenorn

From Amazon.com:

Eons ago, vampires tried to turn the Dark Fae in order to harness their magic, only to create a demonic enemy more powerful than they imagined. Now Myst, the Vampiric Fae Queen of the Indigo Court, has enough power to begin a long prophesied supernatural war. And Cicely Waters, a witch who can control the wind, may be the only one who can stop her-and save her beloved Fae prince from the Queen's enslavement.

Once, when I was a little girl, I dreamed of Fairies. Not the Tinkerbell Disney kind, either. Oh, sure, there may have been one or two flitting about in the background, but most of the fair folk I dreamed off were, well, lets just say my mother would have been a little worried about me. (As in, scary...and I wasn't really scared.) These weren't nightmares...

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. I have a few of Yasmine Galenorn's books that I've gathered (in an attempt to actually read in order...I know, I'm learning!). Serious face here, I actually made a silly kinda squeaking sort of noise when I found a NEW series. Luckily, there were no other people around to witness my moment of silliness (except for you, now!).

A rare event occurred. Ever pick up a book, get so involved...suddenly find yourself a mere chapter or two from the end - then, for some reason, want to stop? Not because you are bored or lost interest in the characters, but because you find yourself not wanting it to end? Yep. That's what happened to me. I almost pouted.

Cisely grew up mostly jumping from place to place with her mother, who ran away from not only who she was, but who her daughter is and would be. A wind witch who taught herself most of what she knows (with just a bit more than a little street smarts) who only knows little more than what a childhood companion, who grew into more, taught her, Cisely now finds herself going back to the home her mother tried to keep her from. And to all the sudden strangeness she has inherited.

People are suddenly disappearing from town, and no one seems to want to do anything about it. Members of the Society and magic-born gone without a trace. Even the vampires of the Crimson Court seem to have no real grasp on the situation. (Which, as Vampires, naturally does not sit well, so scheming ensues.) There are whispers in the air of a new threat, and the woods outside her cousins home may not be the same place she explored when she was young. In fact, there are things out there that do really go bump in the night.

Once, the Fae Grieve and Chatter were childhood playmates to Cisely and her cousin Rhiannon. As they grew up, Grieve became so much more to her. But, now, it seems Grieve may not be the same fey she fell for and left all those years ago. Her prince may have gone through a few changes himself. The court of Rivers and Rush has had a few changes...in the form of the Indigo Court and its Vampiric Fae Queen.

World building is a crucial component in any story. In this case, while there is a bit that the author assumes the reader already has the gist of, the reveals that are crucial aren't dumbed down. Thanks for not treating your readers like they are reading a Fey For Dummies Book, Yasmine Galenorn. (But, just to warn you, there are a few times when some info is repeated...but more in the way you would go over facts in your own mind.) I enjoyed the small details here and there that added a richness and layering to my reading.

Oh, and if you are interested in some smoldering hotness (I mean, HELLO, Vampire and Fairy?) I think this may give you what you're looking for. Tension, smolder (love smolder!), and just enough of all the rest.

The only con, here...I have to wait far too long to see what happens next.

New Review....Street Magic by Caitlin Kittredge (and Giveaway!)

From Publishers Weekly (via Amazon.com)



The first in the Black London series, this dark tale takes Kittredge's supernatural shadows to the next level. At 16, Pete Caldecott witnessed the apparent death of punk rocker Jack Winter after he raised an ancient spirit. Twelve years later, Det. Insp. Caldecott has followed in her dead father's footsteps at Scotland Yard. She follows a tip about a missing child and finds Jack, now a heroin junkie claiming intimate knowledge of a parallel realm called the Black. As Jack detoxes and more children disappear, he joins Pete's quest to find them, teaching her to use hexes and spells as well as her physical abilities in the fight against a rising dark power. Kittredge (the Nocturne City series) knows how to create a believable world, and her fans will enjoy the mix of magic and city grit. (June) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.



A girl named Pete? I have to throw this out there first. Mostly because my husband kept asking me this utterly inane question periodically. To which I responded, "Yep. Didn't name her babe." Then the look. You know the one. The one which telegraphs the "I'm reading. I will stare at you until you comprehend this fact and cease the interruptions though I find you amazing charming so are you finished" sentence directly into their brain. At least until they get up to finish off the ice cream you'll no doubtfully search for....but enough of my issues...

Caitlin Kittredge first came into my estimation when perusing one of my fave blogs, Whedon alumni Felicia Day. Oddly enough, I'd hit a rut in my reading, mostly because I had been let down recently by my purchases. I needed help. As it turns out, fan girl extraordinaire is a fan girl herself of a few things, and authors, that I...cough, cough...drool over, too.

A match made in heaven.



To be honest, can't remember how much she said, it just stuck in head. Nocturne City (it may have been one of her strong female character lines, I think) quickly devoured. Enter the steampunkish-ness reference.

As you may or may not know, I have a little love for Steampunk (and its influences in my creative side)...so, I thought, HECK YA! Bring it!



Enter Pete...and Jack. (Did you see that cover...drool drool drool. I know most authors have no say over covers, but, thanks anyway.)



We start our journey with a younger, more innocent Pete...with her sister's boyfriend Jack (Gonna throw this out...I always channeled Spike from Buffy. But, with a lil more hair.) Doing suspiciously suspicious doings in a cemetery. Then, chaos ensues.



Flash forward, Pete thinks jack is dead. She's a cop (in London) and her investigations involve missing children and their mysterious circumstances.



For me, this was a Love/Hate relationship.



The author obviously researched and put a ton and a half of effort into her new series. I mean this as a good thing. However, the language (even in narration) was so involved in vernacular that I really had to concentrate through the first half of the book. HARD. I pushed myself, mostly because there was something about Pete and her relationship with Jack (no matter how much of a bugger he was being at the time) that I needed to discover.

Then, a little over halfway through, I actually called an inanimate object a bloody wanker. No flippin kidding, folks. It all clicked. I still heard Spike, but now, he was Jack channeling Spike.



World building, I believe, is something an author either excels at, does pretty well, or...eh. This, in my opinion, is the former...I love layers being pealed back and not being treated like I may not be smart enough to get it.



And while it may have been slow going in the get go, I am chompin at the bit for Demon's Mark...because I need some more Jack and the world he lives in. Plus, now I know why there's a girl named Pete.



So, to hook you up with my lurve of Caitlin Kittredge and her world, I'm going to give away a copy of Witch Craft, A Nocturne City Novel...







To enter, just leave a comment below! And if you feel like adding a new series that you are excited about, or maybe you almost didn't get through but then loved, please do. I can always add to my TBR Mountain!

And, any British vernacular is appreciated (because then I won't feel so sodding ridiculous, luv!)

Contest ends September 3rd....

Midnight Musings...On A Paranormal Path

A bit of fun...

There is a large pile (it's actually mountainous, to be completely honest. Or monstrous) of books lurking in my office. Some cleverly hidden in a rather sturdy box that is just behind my desk. Others added almost daily in what began as a leader space to eventually the box but has now grown to a tower of paranormal yumminess.

I can link this obsession to four specific books in my life. The first may surprise you. Don't laugh. Well, not too hard, anyways!

Yeppers, that's a vampire bunny. My first vampire. (Ironic that my husband's nickname is Bunny, right? But don't tell him I told you.) Oh, the mystery of carrots and celery drained of their juices (eww...but I think the celery deserved it. Yuck. And don't tell me to try peanut butter, it's still celery underneath it all!) after the family adopts their newest member. And werewolf daschunds (LURVE THEM!)? Oh, yeah, I said it...errr, typed it.

Then, there was...The Vampire Diaries. Don't even get me started on Damon. (Sorry, wiping drool here. Wouldn't you?) Who can resist a dark misunderstood...brooding, sexy vampire? (Raises hand. You can, too. You know you want to. Don't even try to deny it. Not me! Hence, Angel.) Even, right then and there, I was hooked. Before sparkles and the abs (I like that, too!). And that is the original cover. (Hangs head...I had it once...)

And now (rubbing hands together), for the romance. It was at a used bookstore, and unfortunately, I can't even show you the cover. Its that...out of print. Awaken My Fire by Jennifer Horsman. Oh, if only I could weave the story together of Lady Rochelle and her Vincent. Talk about steamy...and, really, I literally read it my room because I was so certain everyone would know what I was thinking. Or reading, as it were. Or, was it the one with my name that my mom and I hid from my dad? Hmmmm.....

Finally...the well documented (I've probably mentioned it once or twice on here *wink*) stiletto cover of Laurell K. Hamilton. Also a sucker for shoes, that's me! This sealed my fate.

I'm curious...what was your first paranormal toe dipping into the waters that have led you to where you are?

I say it's a great place to be.